Printer s block



Patented July 20, 1897.

J. L. LEE.

PRINTERS BLOCK.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. LEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PRINTERS BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,557, dated July 20, 1897.

Application filed July 16, 1898. Serial No. 599,386. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES L. LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printers Blocks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to printers blocks for holding electrotypes and other printing-plates in the form while being printed from. It has more especial reference to that class of printers blocks in which the plate is held on one side by any suitable means, such as a salient flange or edge, which is usually formed on a separate piece, and on the other side by an adjustable jaw adapted to be forced against the plate by means of a screw having a pinion for the engagement of a hand rack-bar, by which the screw may be turned. This pinion for turning the screw has heretofore occupied much valuable space in the form, owing to the fact that it must be arranged on one side or end of the block, so as to be exposed for the engagement of the hand rack-bar, and when so arranged it is in the way of the clamping-jaw and prevents the same from receding entirely to the outer edge of the block, and hence makes it impossible to hold a plate that is the full area of the block-surface. The said screw which carries the pinion is usually journaled at its inner end in the block itself, while its outer end in the construction heretofore employed is journaled in a brass or other soft-metal plate secured to the end of the block, such plate necessarily being of soft metal in order that it may be dressed down uniformly with the typemetal, of which the block is usually composed.

The object of my present invention is to move the pinion outwardly or substantially flush with the outer plane of the said end plate, whereby the space occupied by the thickness of the bearing for the screw heretofore formed in the end plate may be added to the outward movement of the clampingjaw; or, in other words, the object of my invention is to carry the pinion farther away from the block proper without thickening the end plate and without depriving the screw of its proper bearing in the end plate.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing are attained, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved device, taken on the line 1 1, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view looking toward the pinion andend plate. Fig. 4 is a plan view; and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 1, the clamping-jaw being omitted from the section.

1 represents the block prop r, which is constructed of any suitable material, such as type-metal, and which, as heretofore, is reduced on its under side, as shown at 2, for the sake of lightness and also for permitting of the reciprocating movement of the clamping-jaw 3, which is provided with a shank working through a longitudinal slot at, formed through the face of the block 1.

5 represents the screw, which operates the jaw 3, as usual, and which has its inner end journaled in the end of the block 1 in any suitable manner, while its outer end is provided with the pinion 6, formed thereon or rigidly secured thereto, as usual.

7 represents the end plate, constructed of brass or other suitable material and secured to the block proper, 1, in any suitable manner, such as by means of the horizontal bolts or screws 8, the face and upper edge of the plate 7 being provided with a rabbet 7.

The outer end of the screw 5 in the constructions heretofore employed is made to project through the pinion 6 and is journaled outside of the pinion in the end plate 7, but in my invention the pinion 6 is located on the extreme end of the screw 5, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1, and the end plate 7 has its outer surface mortised or cut away on the circular line 9, so as to receive the pinon and be flush with the vertical plane thereof. By this means I carry the inner surface or plane of the pinion as much farther from the jaw 3 than heretofore as the space heretofore occupied by the thickness of the metal in the plate 7, utilized as a bearing for the screw 5. In order that the screw 5 may still have a firm and substantial bearing without obstructing the movement of the jaw 3, I let into the inner face of the end plate 7 a steel or other suitable bushing 10, which forms a bearing for the screw 5. The upper side of this bushing 10 is cut away, as shown at 11, so as to permit the shank of the jaw 5 to recede until it strikes against the pinion 6, while the under side of such bushing is provided with a slot 12, which fits over a reduced journal 5 of the screw 5 in the manner shown in Fig. 2. By this means the screw 5 is rigidly held against any lateral or upward movement, these being the directions in which substantially all of the transverse strain on the screw is produced. The screw is held against downward movement in the slot 12 by the pinion 6, resting upon the lower side of the mortise or recess 9. The screw is held against inward longitudinal movement by a shoulder 13, formed thereon, and also by the plate or bushing 10, against which the inner face of the pinion may abut, and it is held against outward longitudinal movement by means of a shoulder or flange 14, formed on the screw and being of sufficient diameter-"to overlap the slot 12 in the plate 10, as shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 5.

In order that the bushing or plate 10 may not increase the thickness of the plate 7 or occupy space necessary for the movement of the jaw 3, such plate or bushing 10 is let into the inner face of the end plate '7, a circular recess or mortise being formed in the plate 7, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 2 and dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 5, and such mortise or recess being of slightly greater diameter than the recess 9, whereby a shoulder or flange is formed forsupporting the bushing orfiange on the inner side, the bushing being held in place on the other side or side next the block 1 by the end of such block. The end plate 7 on each side of the cut-away portion 11 is carriedover the upper edge of the bushing 10, as shown at 15, and crowded downwardly,so as to hold such bushing against rotation.

It will of course be understood that rotation is imparted to the pinion-wheel 6 in the ordinary manner well known to printers that is to say, by means of a rack-bar having a suitable handle and teeth capable of engaging with the teeth of the wheel 6 at its upper edge, where it protrudes above the rabbet 7. The pointof the jaw 3 is never at any time sufficiently projected over the wheel 6 to prevent the operating rack-bar from engaging with the teeth of the wheel, although at times it may be necessary to slightly tilt the rackbar away from the jaw.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A printers block having in combination the block proper, the clamping-jaw, a screw journaled at one end in said block for moving said jaw and having a shoulder thereon, a pinion for turning said screw, the end plate recessed for the reception of said pinion, and a bushing forming a bearing for said screw and being interposed between said pinion and shoulder, substantially as set forth.

2. A printers block having in combination the block proper, the clamping-jaw, a screw for moving said jaw, having a shoulder, a pinion on the extreme end of said screw, the end plate having a recess in its outer surface receiving said pinion, and a bushing interposed between said end plate and block proper and forming an abutment for said shoulder, substantially as set forth.

3. A printers block having in combination the block proper, the clamping-j aw, the screw for moving said jaw, having a shoulder or reduced journal, a pinion secured to the end of said screw, the end plate having a mortise in its outer surface receiving said pinion and a slotted bushing embracing said reduced journal and being let into the inner face of said end plate, substantially as set forth.

i. A printers block having in combination the clamping-jaw, a screw having a pinion on one end thereof, said pinion being let into a recess in the outer wall of the printers block and said screw being provided with a shoulder, and a b ushin g embracing said screw between said shoulder and pinion and being inserted into the printers block at the inner side or face of said pinion, substantially as set forth.

5. A printers block having in combination the block proper, the clamping-jaw, the screw for moving said jaw, having ashoulder thereon, an end plate having a recess in its outer face, a pinion let into said recess and being secured to said screw, a bushing interposed between said end plate and block proper and having a slot extending through its periphery and embracing said reduced journal, sub stantially as set forth.

6. A printers block having in combination the block proper, the clamping-jaw, a screw for moving said jaw, an end plate having a recess, a pinion on said screw let into said recess, and a bushing interposed between said pinion and block proper and having a cutaway portion in its upper side for the passage of said clamping-jaw, substantially as set forth.

JAMES L. LEE. lVitnesses:

JNo. G. ELLIOTT, EDNA B. Jonnsox. 

